Refrigerator-door latch



Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

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W. E. HUBER. REFRIGERATOR DOOR LATCH. APPLICATION FILED Nov. a, 1919.

1,891,1 14. PatentedSept. 20,1921.

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y UNITED STATES PATENT oFI-lcE.

WILLIAM H HUBER, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, AssIGNoH or ONE-THIRD 'ro HENRYJ. HBZINGEH AND ONE-THIRD 'ro ALrHoNso s. CROSBY, BOTH or cHIcAGo,ILLINOIS,

BEFRIGERATOR-DOOR LATCH.

Door Latches, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in refrigerator doorlatches, and has for its, object. the rovision of a refrigerator doorlatch whic will be durable in structure and highly eiiicient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The. invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of partshereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, and 1n which,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of my mvention applied to a door.

Fi 2 is a sectional view taken on substantlally line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fio'. 3 is a sectional v1ew taken on substantially line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a top plan Viewv of a latch bolt` used in my invent1on. l

` Fig.`5 is a side elevational view of a latch bolt used in myinvention. j

The approved form of construction comprises a base 6 which is rigidlymounted, by means of bolts or screws 7, upon the door 8 of arefrigerator. Projectingd upwardly from the member 6, adjacent one endthereof and spaced apart, are lugs 9 and 9. having registering openingstherein.v A casing 10 is pivotally mounted at one end by means of a pin11 which projects through the lugs 9 and 9. The casing 10 comprises anarrow, box-like structure in the form of a` channel which is'providednear its free end with a humped portion 12. The assage-way 13, whichextends throughout the straight portion of the member 10, inclinesupwardly and extends into the hum ed portion 12, as clearly seen in Fig.2. rojecting downwardly from the member 10 and preferably madeintegrally therewith, is a finger 14 having a portion 15 which projectsbackwardly toward the pivoted end of the member 10, terminating in aplane which is parallel with the plane in which the inner upper surfaceof the member 10 lies, where the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

Application med November 1919. lserial No. 336,615..-

same extends upwardly in the humped portion 12. The member 14 ispositioned centrally on the member 10, that is, projects downwardly fromthe member l0l in a plane which is equidistant from the side walls ofthe member 10. Projecting upwardly from the free end of the member 10 isan arcuate.4

handle 16 upon which is mounted a handhold 17. l

Projecting upwardly from the member 6,

and spaced apart, are lugs 18, which are provided with registeringopenings adjacent the upper end. A pin 19 is adapted to be positionedwithin the openings in the lugs 18. Positioned between the lugs 18, soas to lie upon the upper surface of the member 6 and engaging with itsupper surface the pin 19, is a latch bolt 20 which is providedintermediate its ends with a slot 21 in which the member 14 is `adaptedto engage when the same is in assembled. position, the ends of the slot21 extending diagonally to the member 20, as at 22 and 23. rojecting up-Vwardly4 from the member 20, adjacent one end thereof, and spaced apart,are lugs 25 having registering openings therethrough, in whlch a pin 26is adapted to be inserted for the prpose of rotatably mounting betweensaid lugs a roller 27. The opposite end of the member 20 is bifurcatedto form the members 28 having a registering opening therethrough. Aroller 29 is mounted between the members 28 upon a pin 30 inserted inthe openings in the members 28. The opposite end of the member 20 isprovided with an interiorly threaded socket 31 in which is adapted to bethreaded a rod 32. The rod 32 projects through an opening 33 formed inthe pin 11 and is provided at its outer end with a square or octagonallyshaped portion 32 by means of which the same ma be threaded into thebutt-end of the mem` er 20. Positioned upon themember 22, intermediatethe butt-end of the latch bolt 20 and the pin'll, is a spiral spring 34.Mounted upon the stationary portion 35 of the refrigerator by suitablefastening means, such as the bolt 36 and the screw 37, is a catch barwhich is adapted to engage the latch bolt 20. This member. com-- prisesa base 38, extending upwardly from which and preferably made integrallytherewith, is a wall portion 39, the upper portion 40 of which inclinesinwardly, having an outwardly inclined portion 41 which forms a strikingplate for the latch bolt 20. Prof jecting upwardly from the base 38 atop osite sides of the member '39 and preferably made integrally withthese parts, are wall portions 42.

The construction of the device is such that, upon an outward pull beingexerted upon the member 17, the member 10 swings on the pivot pin 11 andthereby causes the roller 27 to move downwardly relatively to the baseof the member 10. The roller 27 in its downward motion or during theupward movement of the `member 10 contacts with the inclined.l surface22 of the portion 15 and thereby causes the arm 20 to move backwardrelatively to the member 11, thereby compressing the spiral spring 84.Upon the outward movement of the member 10, the latch bolt 20 is movedbackwardly a suflicient distance'to afford a clearance between the bolt20 and the catch member which is mounted upon the stationary part of therefrigerator. At the same time that the latch bolt 20 is movedbackwardly relatively to the latch door which is mounted` upon thestationary part of the refrigerator, an outward pull is' exerted uponthe door of the refrigerator. As the door swings outwardly at the sametime that the bolt 20 moves backwardly, the roller 29 engages againstthe under surface of the inclined portion and is caused to rotate,thereby reducing the friction which is necessarily incident in theoperation. As soon as the outward pull is released from the member 17,the spring 34 causes the member 10 to resume its normal position inwhich the latch bolt would be in operative or outwardly extendingposition. As shown,

the member 6 is provided with a slot 14 in which the member 14 operates.The door of the refrigerator is also provided with a slot 42 in whichthe inner end of the member 15 operates. In closing the refrigeratordoor, the roller 29 comes into contact with the striking plate 41 inwhich instance the arm 20 is moved backwardly in the latch socket orpassageg 13, thereby causing the member 10 to swing outwardly on thepivot 11. As soon as the roller 29 has cleared the portion 41, thespring causes the member 2O to move forwardly again, the roller in thisinstance engaging the under surface of the portion 40. The forwardthrust of the arm 2O by means of theA spring 34 causes the.

roller 20 to rotate on the member 40, thereby carrying the door of therefrigerator into a snugl closed position, the wall 39 finally affordinga resistance to the forward thrust of the bolt. Mounted upon theinterior of the door 8 is a plate 43, extending inwardly from one end ofwhich'is a bushing 44 adapted to seat in an opening provided in the door8, so as to communicate with the opening 42. Projecting upwardly fromthe lmember 43, adjacent the opposite end, are

spaced lugs 45, between which is pivotally mounted at one end upon a pin46a lever or handle 47. The member 47 is provided intermediate its endsfwith a slot througth which a pin 48 projects so as to pivotally securethe member 47 between a pair of lugs 49 formed upon a rod 50 whichprojects into the opening 42. Formed in the opposite end of the member50 is a threaded socket 51 in which is threaded a rod 52, the oppositeend of which is curved to form a hook 54 which is adapted to projectthrough an opening in the lower end of the member 14 and operativelyconnect the member 14 with the member 47. A vided to lock the member 54in in the member 14. A

' The purpose of the handle and its operating parts which are mounted onthe inner side of the refrigerator is to afford a means of opening thedoor from the interior of the the opening refrigerator. Upon pressingthe outer or.

free end of the member 47 'inwardly toward the door 8, the memberl ismoved outwardly so as to force the member 10 to swing outwardly from thedoor on its pivot 11, thereby retracting or withdrawingV the latch bolt20.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of the construction set forth, but desire to avail myself ofsuch Variations and modifications as come within the scope of theappended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters bolt, an arm pivotally mounted adjacent' to suitable key 55is prof said bolt, a keeper in position to be engaged by said bolt, andmeans on the side of saidV arm actuated by the swinging of said armtoward the keeper for forclng said bolt longitudinally into engagementwith the keeper.

3. A- lock *comprising a bolt slidably y mounted on the edge of al door,an arm pivotally mountedl adjacent to said bolt,

diagonally extending means on said arm',

and amember on said bolt to be actuated by the swinging ofy said armaway from the .door for retracting the bolt and actuated by the swingingof the arm toward the door for projecting the bolt beyond the edge ofthe oor.

4. A lock comprising a channel iron arm pivotally mounted near the edgeof a door, a finger carried by said arm,` a slotted bolt embracing saidner and slidably mounted with respect to sai arm, a roller carried bysaid bolt, diagonally disposed parts carried by said arm adapted by engaement with said roller to slide the bolta ternately in oppositedirections when the arm is-sWun back and forth with respect to the bolt,and means connected with said finger for actuating said arm.

5. A lock comprising an arm, a pivot pin on which said arm is swinginglymounted, a bolt slidably mounted adjacent to said arm, a slide rodcarried by said bolt and passing through an opening in said pivot 1pin,an expanslon spring interposed between said bolt and said pivot pin, aroller carried by said bolt, and diagonally disposed means carried bysaid arm ada ted by engagement with said roller to sllde the boltalternately in opposite directions when the arm is swung back and forthabout said pivot pin.

6. A lock comprising a channel iron arm pivotally mounted near the outeredge of a door, an inwardly extending finger carried by said arm, aslotted bolt embracing said finger and slidably mounted with respect tosaid arm, a member carried by said bolt,

diagonally extending parts carried by said.

arm adapted by engagement with said member to slide the bolt alternatelyin opposite directions when the arm is swung back and forth with respectto the bolt, and means pivoted to the inside of said door and connectedwith said finger foi-actuating said arm from the inside of the door.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses. WILLIAM E. HUBER.

Witnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. Borre, ROSE K. TRIB.

